Wringer



April 16, 1.940- c. W. WILLIAMS I 2,197,402

WRINGER Filed Feb. 8, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l ...anvar 3 wwmmww April 161940 c. w. WILLIAMS WRING-ER Filed Feb. s, .1935

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIq. 9

@Mmmm @w MWMQMQ Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE vwnnvGEa y A Charles W. Williams, Kinsman, Ohio Application February 8,1935, Serial No. 5,607

Claims.

. This invention relates to a wringer, and espe'- cially to a householdlaundry wringer which utilizes rotating pressure rolls to squeeze waterfrom the clothes. The general object of the present invention is toprovide a power-driven wringer, of the rotary pressure roll type, whichwill prevent injury to the operator, and which will enable the operatorto straighten the clothes and the buttons thereon, while the material isbeing .fed to the wringer, without fear of injury.

Another object of this invention is to provide -a wringer constructioninwhich the power conoperator to the bite of said supplemental roll andits coacting pressure roll, and I so arrange the supplemental roll thatit is resiliently urged toward the coacting' pressure roll. ,with a.comparativelylight degree of pressure, such pressure being insufficientto causeinjury, should thev operators fingers be caught betweenl thesupplemental roll and its coacting pressurejroll, and

being so light that the operator may readily withdraw her fingers incase of such inadvertent gripping of the fingers by the supplementalroll and a pressure roll, and I so arrange the supplemental roll that,consequent upon undue amount of separation between it and its coastingpressure roll, the power connection between the driving mechanism andthe pressure rolls will be automatically broken. This, therefore, is amore specic object of the invention.

Further objects of the invention will become more apparent from thefollowing description. reference being had lto the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate' a preferred form of the invention. Theessential characteristics of the invention will be set forth in theclaims.

, In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a wringe'rembodying my invention, the plane of the section being indicated by theline l-I on Fig. 2; Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical'transverse sec-l tionsthrough the wringer mechanism, as indicated by the line 2'-2 and 3-3 onFigs'. 1 and 4;

Y Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section, the plane of thesectionbeing indicated by the offset lines 4 4 on Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6arevertical trans- (Cl. css-248) vverse sections as indicated by thecorrespond ingly numbered lines on Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 4, but illustrating a modified form of my invention;Figs. 8 and 9 are -sectional details, the planes of the `sections being5 indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines ,on Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferredIform of my invention, it will be seen that I provide a wringermechanism 10 having a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the samehorizontal plane, beneath which are positioned a pair of supplementalrolls arranged in contact with respective pressure rolls. i The frame ofthe wringer, as shown in the l5 drawings, comprises a box-like formationhaving an open top which is normally closed by a suitable cover 2|,pivoted as at 22 to the frame. Mai terial is fed to the wringer throughopenings 23 in eitherthe front or rear wall of the frame 20 member andis ejected .by the Wringer rolls, as ywill hereinafter be described,through a suitable opening 24 in the top Wall of the cover. Thearrangement is such that materials may be fed from either of twoopposite vertical faces ofthe wring- 25 er and guided upwardly between apair of hori- Zontally mounted pressure rolls I0 and II, which coact tosqueeze the water from the clothes and eject them from the top of thewringer.

As shown, the pressure rolls I0 andl II com- 3o prise the usual rubberwringer rolls rigidly mounted on respective shafts I2 and I3, one ofwhich shafts, for instance the shaft i3, is carried in suitable bearingsI4, which are secured to-the cover 2l by bolts i5. The other wringer 35roll shaft I2- is mounted in bearing members I 6. The bearing members I6are each provided with a stud I1, which is slidably carried inrespective yokes I8 pivoted at I9 to the frame 2li of the wringenSuitable compression springs 36 40 encircling each stud I1, and engagingrespec` tive :yokes I8 and the bearing I6, serve to force the roll I0toward the roll I I. The'compression Asprings provide the wringingpressure for the rolls I0 andII. 45

When the cover is in its normal position, that is, when it is inposition on the frame member 20 as shown in Figs. Zand 3, bosses 3l ofthe cover engage respective bearing members I6 and force them downwardlyinto contact with bridges 32 50 carried by the frame 20, therebypreventing the swinging of the roll I0 about its pivots Ii). Thearrangement of the rolls I0 and Il, together with the pivot I9, is suchthat the axis of the pressure roll I0 is normally slightly above a plane55 intersecting the axes of the pivots and the other pressure roll.Hence, consequent upon the release of the cover, as will be hereinafterdescribed, the compression springs 30 acting against the pressure roll 0cause it to ride upon roll and bear against the underside of the cover2|, to force the cover upwardly, swinging it about its pivot 22.

The cover is normally held in position on the frame by a pair of latches35, one of which disposed adjacent either end of the wringer.A

These latches, as shown in Fig. 5, comprise hookshaped members, rigidlymounted on a shaft 36 carried by suitable bearings mounted on -thecover. The latches are normally held in engagement with pins 31, carriedby the end walls 38 of the frame 20 by a spring 39, which engages theshaft and the frame, as shown in Fig.- 4. The latches may be released bythe-operator at any time by merely pressing downwardly upon either oftwo knobs 40 which are slidably mounted in the cover and each of whichcarriesv a plunger 4I arranged to engage one of the latches 35, to swingit, together with the shaft 36 and the other latch, against the actionof the spring 3 9, thereby permitting-the compression spring 30 to raisethe cover as heretofore described.

Below the pressure rolls Il) and are a pair of supplemental rolls. Asshown, there is a supplemental roll lying beneath and coacting with thepressure roll l0, and a second supplemental roll 5| lying beneath andcoacting with the pressure vroll These supplemental rolls are like theusual rubber wringer rolls and are carried on shafts 52 and 53, the endsof which are journalled 4in common bearing members 54, which areslidably mounted for vertical movement in guides 55 formed in the bridgemembers 32, heretofore mentioned. A

The two supplemental rolls are normally urged upwardly toward and intocontact with their respective pressure rolls by a`- pair of llightcompression springs 56, which arefpositioned between respective bearingmembers 54 and the Ibottom surface of the frame. As heretoforementioned, the springs 56-are considerably light- A er than the springs30, and the pressure between the supplemental rolls and their associatedpressure rolls is such that no injury would result even though theoperators fingers were caught between a supplemental roll and itspressure roll. Disposed between the two supplemental rolls is a guidemember which serves', as shown in Fig. 2, to strip the material from thesuppleroll, which rolls act to feed the material toward the center ofthe wringer where the guide member 60 diverts the material upwardly intothe bite i of the two coacting pressure rolls, which then act to squeezethe water from the clothesand eject them from the top of the wringer.

The pressure rolls are driven by a suitableA motor (not shown) but ofthe 4usual type and which is connected to a vertical power shaft.bearing 8|.

in the usual manner. Adjacent its upper end, the shaft 65 is mounted ina suitable bearing 66 carried by a gear housing 61, to which the wringerframe 20 is secured. Upon the upper end of the shaft 65 I provide abevel gear 68, arranged to normally mesh with the bevel gear 69 carried'by a transverse shaft journalled in suitable bearings, as willhereinafter be more fully described, but which arecarried by the casing61. 'I'he innermost end ofthe shaft 10 extends into the wringer frame 29and is there provided with. ay

spur gear 1|, arranged to constantly mesh with a .gear 12 secured to theend ofthe shaft I3 which supports the wringer roll ll. The pressure rollI0 is driven by frictional contact with the roll Il. Two auxiliary rollsare geared together by suitable spurgears 15 and 16 secured torespective shafts 50 and 5|.V Hence, as the supplemental roll assemblyis arranged to rock in the guides 55 a-driving connection always existsto both auxiliary rolls because of the frictional contact between onenofthe pressure rolls and its coacting roll, depending upon which pressureroll is in contact with its associated supplemental roll. Y.

The transverse power shaft 10 is so. mounted lthat it may be moved todisengalge the bevel gear 69 from the driving gear 68 consequent upon anabnormal. separatiorrbetween either supplemental roll and its associatedpressure roll.- As shown in the drawings, and especially Figs. 1, 4

and 6, the shaft 10 is journalled at its opposite ends in bearings 8|and 82, which are pivotally carried by suitable horizontally extendingpins -|33 and-84. The pins 84A carry the bearing 82 and are mounted in aplate which is secured to a gear housing 61 in any suitable manner. The

pins 83 carry the bearing member 8| and are mounted in a slide which isslidably supported for vertical movement in suitable ways 9|, formed inthe end plate 92 of the gear housing 61.

The shaft 10 is eonstrainedagainst axial mve ment relative. Vto thebearing 82 by the gear 1| and a collar 93, which are lrigidly secured tothe shaft at opposite sides of such bearing. The shaft is, however,-free to slide axially in the mounted the'shaft may be rocked about theaxis of the pivot pins 82 consequent upon the raising `or lowering -ofthe slide 90. 'I'he arrangement is su'ch that the shaft 1 0 -m-ay berocked to carry the gear 69 into or out of engagement with. the

power driven gear 68, thereby breaking' the power c onnection'to therolls of thewringer.

The shaft 10 is' retained in its normal operating position, shown inFig. fi, with the gears '68 and As bothbearings are pivotall'y` 69 inmesh with each other lby a suitable latch 95. r 'I'his latch ris pivotedas at 96 to the gear housing, and is normally retained in; engagementwith a shoulder 91 formedV inthe slide 90 by a spring 94. A suitablecompression spring' 981is carried in a recess in the end member 92 o fthe gear housing, and aetsto constantly urge the slide 90 into,A itsuppermost position. Hence,

when the latch 95 is released, thatis, when the latch is disengaged fromthe slide, thespr'ing 98 -will rock the shaft 10 about theaxis of .thepivot pins 84, disengaging the wringer drivingv gear ..69 from the powerdriven gear 68.

JThe latch 95 is automatically'released. consequentupon an undue orpredetermined amount of vseparation between either supplemental roll andits associated pressure roll. As shown in y Figs. 1,'4 and 5 the bearingmembers'54 which are normally retained in engagement with the" frontwall |04 of the frame 20 by a suitable spring |05 (Figs. 4 and 5).

Consequent upon an undue downward movement of the auxiliary rollmounting, due to an.

abnormal separation between either auxiliary roll and its associatedpressure roll, one of thelugs |00 ,will contact with its lever |0| androck it, .together with the shaft |02, in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5)whereupon the lever |0| at the left-hand side of the Wringer (Fig.4)'will engage one arm of a bell-crank ||0 which i'spivoted as at to theframe 20, rocking such bellcrank in a clockwise direction.' The otherarm ||2 of the bell-crank ||0 is pivotally connected by a link I3 to thelatch 95. Hence, the rocking of the bell-crank will cause the latchto beWithdrawn from engagement with the shoulder 91 of the slide, therebypermitting the shaft 10A to rock, under the inuence of the spring 98, todisengage the gear 69 from the gear 6B. f

When it is desired to establish the power con- I nection between thepowerv shaft and the wringer rolls, the operator merely depresses aplunger ||5 which is slidably mounted the gear housing 61 and'which isattached to ,the `slide 90. The depression of the slide positionsv it,so that it-will be reengaged by the latch 95 and retained in suchposition until the latch is again released. A

In Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, I illustrate a modified form of my inventionhaving av powershaft 10a corresponding' to the shaft 10,heretoforedescribed, but which is at all times constrained from apivotal or swinging movement by its bearings |20. The shaft 'la isdriven from the vertical driving shaft by bevel gearing in theusualmanner. In the modification I utilize a clutch member |26 which isinterposed between the driving shaft 10a and the gear 1|a, so thatthedrivlng connection between the shaft and the gear may Y be' broken atwill. A

As shown in Fig. ,9, the gear Ha is rotatably journalled on the shaft10a-and is arranged toA be drivingly connected thereto by a clutchmember |26. This clutch is slidably mountedon the shaft,' andisdrivlngly connected thereto by `a suitable key |21. The clutch isnormally maintainedA in engagement with a clutch face |28 formed on thehub of the gear lla. by a suitable vcompression spring |28, which isinterposed between the clutch member |26 and a collar |29, the collarbeing secured to the shaft 10a bya suitable nut |30. The clutch member|26 is provided with an annular -ange I3 by means of which it may bemoved toward the right (Fig. 9),` against the action of the compressionspring 28, to disengage .the

clutch from the gear 'lla and therebysever the wringer mechanism.

driving connection` between the shaft and the The clutch member |26 ismoved out of engagement withits gear l |41. by an abnormal movement ofeither auxiliary roll away from its coacting pressure roll. Asheretofore described, lan

excessive downward movement of either auxiliaryroll causes one of apaiiuof lugs |00, carried by the wringen` driving gear 1|,

roll mounting, to engage suitable levers I0| carried by the rock shaft|02. As` shown in Figs. 7 and 8 I provide a yoke member |35 with a pairof lugs |36 arranged to engage the ange |3| of the clutch member. l'I'he yoke member |35 hasan outwardly extending arm portion |30 which isnormally disposed beneath the left-hand rock arm |0|, so that consequentupon the depression of the rock arm, due to the abnormal separationbetween an auxiliary roll and its coacting'pressure roll, the yoke'willbe rocked about its' pivot 1 |40, causing the clutch member |25 tobedisengaged from thegear lla, therebysevering the driving connectionbetween the power rolls Ha and the driving shaft 10a and tion lof therolls I0 and Il.

It should be noted that when using my modified form of roll drive, thepressure rolls are automatically reconnected in .driving relation withthe driving motor when the material causing the abnormal separation'between an auxiliary roll f and its coacting pressure roll is removedtherefrom. This automatic reconnection is attained I because the removalof such material permits the auxiliary roll to rise, which movement in`turn permits the arm-IUI to rock upwardly, dueto the action-ofthe spring|05. `The l rm 0| thus disengages from the arm |38 ofA heyoke-I35permitting the spring |28 to drivingly reconnect. the clutch |26 and thegear ila.

power driving connection may also bebroken at the will of the operator.f As heretofore described, the operator, by depressingeither ofthemanually operable krobs 40,v causes the cover 20 stopping therota- Witheither form of my invention, the .power4 connection between thelwringerrollsl and the to swing upwardly, underjthe .influence of thesprings 30 froml the position shown in full lines in Fig. '5 to theposition shown in'broken linesl'in the same figure. vThis causes .thewringer roll gear 'l2 to be swung upwardly out of engagement with the Iheretofore described, thereby breaking the rolls of the wringer From theforegoing description, vit is obvious- -roll s, and also so arrangedthat an undue separation between such.. supplemental roll` and itscoacting pressure roll will either rock a power shaft,' carrying awringer driving 4gear -mounted thereon, out-of mesh with a gear carriedby thepower driven shaft, or disengage a suitable clutch mechanisminterposed between the driving mechanism and the wringer rolls.

I` claim:

power connection to the l and I have accom- 1. In a wringer, a pair ofpressure rolls, a'power operable driving mechanism, a separable driv-'ing connection between -said mechanismand onel of said pressure rolls,movable means cooperating with o ne of the pressure rolls to guidevmaterial in to th'e bite of the two pressure rolls, and means toseparate said driving connection consequent y' upon Athe passingl of,apredetermined thickness of Jmaterial between the guiding means'and thecoacting pressure roll and means to automatically reestablish saiddriving .connection consequent upon the removal'of suchpredetermined.thick-l ness of clothes.

2. In wringer. a pair of pressure rolls mount-` u ed in substantiallythe same horizontal plane and arranged to squeeze material fedtherebetween, a power operable mechanism, a clutch mechanism interposedbetween said mechanism and said rolls to selectively rotate the rolls,releasable means t` maintain said clutch mechanism in position to drivesaid rolls, a supplemental roll, means tol resiliently move saidsupplemental roll toward one of said pressurerolls, and means actingconsequent upon a predetermined separation between said supplementalroll and the coacting pressure roll to release said releasable means andstopthe rotation of a pressure roll without eiecting a substantialseparation of said'pressure rolls.

3. In a wringer, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in substantially thesame horizontal plane and arranged to squeeze material fed therebetween,power operable mechanism to rotate said rolls and including a clutch,releasable means to maintain said clutch mechanism in position to drivesaid rolls, a pair of supplemental rolls, means to resiliently move saidsupplemental rolls into contact with respective pressure rolls, andmeans acting consequent upon a predetermined separation between eitherof lsaid supplemental rolls and its coacting pressure roll at any pointtherebetween to release said releasable means, and means to move theclutch to disengage the wringer rolls from the power operable mechanismconsequent upon such release.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a pair 'of pressure rolls, means toguide material into the bite ofthe pressure rolls, including a membernormallyin contact with one of said rolls and movable away from suchroll, power mechanism to drive said rolls, including a clutch, meansnormally acting upon feeding an excess thickness of material to saidguide means to disengage said clutch, and means to automaticallyreengage said clutch upon removal of said material from the Wringer.

5. In a wringer, a pair of pressure rolls, a

separable power driving connection to rotate said rolls, means coactingwith one of said pressure rolls whereby material fed between suchpressure roll and said means will be fed into the bite of the twopressure rolls, y,and second means whereby the passing of apredetermined thickness of material between said first-named means andits coacting pressure roll will separate said driving connection-andmeans acting automatically on removal of such material to reestablishsaid driving connection.

6. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the framein substantially the same horizontal plane, power operable means torotate said rolls, including a separable positive driving connection toone roll,v whereby when said connection is separated both rolls willcease rotation, means carried by the frame and-arranged to gripmaterials fed from either of two g both pressure rolls and means actingupon removal of said predetermined thickness of material to reestablishsaid driving connection.

7. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted therein,yielding means to hold said rolls in wringing relation to each other, apower mechanism to drive one of said pressure rolls, and means operativeon said mechanism to automatically stop the rotation of said rollconsequent upon the feeding of material over 'a predetermined thicknessto the wringer, to-

gether with means operative on said mechanism toautomatically're-establish the rotation of Isaid roll consequent uponthe removal of such material from the wringer,

8. In a power driven wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls mountedin the frame, a guide means to direct clothes into the bite of thepressure rolls, means to stop the rotation of said rolls consequent uponfeeding athickness of clothes exceeding a predetermined thickness,between said guide means and its coacting pressure roll, and means toautomatically restore said roll lrotation upon removal of said excessthickness of clothes.

9. In a power driven wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls mountedin the frame, means to stop the rotation of said rolls consequent uponfeeding of an amount of clothes in excess of a predetermined thicknessto said wringer, and means to automatically restore said roll rotationupon removal of said excess thickness of clothes.

10. In a wringer, a pair of pressure rolls ar,- ranged to squeeze liquidfrom material fed therebetween, a power operable mechanism to rotatesaid rolls, said mechanism including a pivoted shaft, a power operablegear, a gear on said pivoted shaft arranged to be swung into and out' ofengagement with said first-named gear consequent on the rocking of saidshaft about its pivot, and means dependent upon the thickness of objectsfed to said wringer to control the swinging movements of said shaft.

11. In a wringer, a pair of pressure rolls, a gear secured to one ofsaid rolls, a second gear arranged to normally mesh with the rst-namedgear, a shaft to support-the last-named gear, a pivotal support for suchshaft, a third gear carried by such shaft and a power operable 'geararranged to mesh with said third-named gear and means automaticallyactuated on feeding an ex- -cess thickness of clothes to said wringer torock said shaft, about its pivot and move a pair of said gears out ofengagement with each other.

12. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of pressure rolls, means toguide material into the bite of the pressure rolls, including a memberarranged to coact with one of said rolls to grip and feed materialtherebetween into the bite of said pressure rolls, a power operableshaft, a pivoted shaft, a driving connection between said pivoted shaftand one of said pressure rolls, a driving connection between vthe twoshafts, one of said driving connections adapted to be severed consequentupon the swinging of the pivoted shaft about its pivot, and meansoperable by said feeding means to control the swinging of said shaft.

13. In a wringer,. a pair of pressure rolls, a

gear secured to one of said rolls, a second gear arranged to normallymesh with the first-named gear, a shaft to support the last-named gear,a pivotal support for saidshaft, a bevelled pinion carried bythe shaftand a driving pinion' ar 1 gear secured to one of said rolls, a secondgear arranged to normally mesh with the first-named gear, a shaft tosupport the last-named gear, a bevelled pinion carried by such shaft anda driving pinion, means normally acting to move said bevelled pinion outof engagement with the driving pinion, a latch normally restraining saidmeans, and second means operable consequent upon the feeding of materialhaving a predetermined thickness into the wringer to release' saidlatch.

15. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in saidframe with an upwardly extending bite, means to feed clothes to the biteof the pressure rolls from either side of the wringer, power operatedmeans to drive the pressure rolls and means operable from either side ofthe wringer to stop the wringing action of the pressure rolls withoutshifting the pressure rolls, upon feeding a predetermined thickness ofclothes between the feed means and the pressure rolls.

16. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls carried in saidframe, a pair of auxiliary rolls beneath respective pressure rolls andadapted to provide an intake bite on each side of the wringer between arespective pressure roll and auxiliary roll to guide clothes to the biteof the pressure rolls, power operated means to drive the pressurerollsand means operable upona predetermined separation between apressure roll and a respective auxiliary roll to stop the wringingaction of the pressure rolls without substantially shifting the samewith respect to each other.

17.7In a wringer, a housing, a pair of/pressure rolls carried in saidhousing, a power shaft entering said housing, a shiftable stub shaftcarried by said housing and operatively connecting the power shaft andthe wringer rolls, and means to stop'the rotation of said pressure rollsby shifting said stub shaft to a position out of axial alignment withits previous position.

18. In a wringer, a housing, a pair of pressure rolls carried in saidhousing, a power shaft enterfeeding a predetermined thickness of clothesto v the wringer to shift said stub shaft, one of said gears carriedbythe stub shaft whereby shifting of the stub shaft disengages the gearfrom engagement with the mating gea and stops the rotation of the rolls.

20. In a multiple roll clothes wringer to which clothes may be fed fromeither side without bodily shifting said rolls, a pairfof rolls mountedin said frame to establish therebetween ,a wringing pressure bite, afeeding' roll and means for irging said feeding roll and one of saidpressure rolls toward each other to provide a clothes intake bite, poweroperated means to drive the wringer, and means operable consequent uponfeeding an yexcess thickness of material between said Ifeeding roll andits coacting pressure roll to terminate lthe wringing action of said'pressure rolls independently of the relative position of said pressurerolls with respect to each other.

CHARLES W. WILLIAMS.

